Wheels Services overview...

The Professional Team
You can choose from our wide selection of tyre brands, please click links to our friends and partners below to browse there catalogue as we sell all major tyres, rims and wheels. With all the top brands like Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Firestone, Falken, Fuzion, Nitto, Pirelli, Vogue, Yokohama, General, Lexani, MHT, Giovanna, American Racing, DUB, Asanti, Konig and Mickey Thompson and many more. Our huge inventory and volume buying power gets you in and out at the right price.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Wheel Balance

State-of-the-art wheel balancing. With experienced technicians, using the latest balancing equipment, wheels are balanced to precision.

A tyre is out of balance when one section of the tyre is heavier than the others. A wheel balance redistributes weight around the tyre to extend life of your tyres, increase performance and increase your vehicle's safety. To balance a wheel, a Superior Tyres Expert will mount it on a balancing machine that spins the tyre and wheel to locate the heavier part, which will then be compensated for by attaching a weight on the opposite side.

Simply put, Superior Tyres quality wheel balancing ensures that your tyres and wheels do not have a heavy spot that may cause vibration and premature tyre wear. Unbalanced tyres may also cause accelerated wear of your shock absorbers, struts and other steering and suspension components.

When combined with a Superior Tyres wheel alignment, balanced wheels ensure a smooth ride, maximum tread life and increased vehicle performance.

Do I need my wheels balanced? If your steering wheel or vehicle is vibrating or your tyres are particularly noisy. To ensure maximum mileage from your tyres and smooth driving at all speeds, call in to your our Superior Tyres Melbourne store today.

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Wheel Alignment

State-of-the-art wheel alignment. Is your vehicle pulling to the left or right? Do you have a crooked steering wheel? Call in to your nearest Superior Tyres store for an alignment check today. Regular vehicle alignment checks and adjustments can prevent irregular tyre wear and unnecessary stress on your vehicle, saving you time and unnecessary expense.

Your wheel alignment is one of the key maintenance factors to ensure that you get the most economy and performance out of your tyres. Regular wheel alignments provide safe, predictable vehicle control as well as a smooth and comfortable ride free of pulling or vibration, and improved mileage.
Today's modern suspensions require a precise wheel alignments that can only be achieved through a modern alignment system. This applies to both front and rear wheel drive vehicles.

If your steering wheel vibrates at certain speeds, or the steering feels heavier than before; or if your tyres seem to be wearing quickly or unevenly, there’s little doubt that your car requires a wheel alignment or wheel balance.

Put simply, a poor wheel alignment means that your tyres are not running smoothly on the road surface or that your four wheels are trying to head in slightly different directions.

Wheel balance, on the other hand, is the balance of the rotating mass of a tyre and wheel – i.e. the wheel is not balanced as it is turning. Poor wheel balance also prevents the tyres from running smoothly on the road surface, but the effects on the behavior of your car and the wear on tyres are markedly different.

Thrust Alignment - Passenger & 4WD vehicles. Aligning the front wheels to the vehicle's thrust line provides a significant improvement to the cars alignment. In the thrust line method, rear individual toe is measured (but not adjusted). The thrust line created by the rear wheels is used as a reference for aligning the front wheels.
As a result, the operator is assured of a straight steering wheel as the vehicle moves straight ahead.

Total four-wheel alignment is the ultimate wheel alignment service. Individual rear toe is measured, and then adjusted to the factory specifications. This adjustment brings the thrust line of the rear wheels line with the vehicle's centerline. The front wheels are then aligned to the identical centerline/thrust line. A total four-wheel alignment results in all four wheels being parallel and the steering wheel and steering geometry being centred as the vehicle moves in a straight line. Please call in to your our Superior Tyres Melbourne store for more details.

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Signs of poor Wheel Alignment and Balance

• Steering wheel vibration at certain speeds

• Vehicle vibrates at certain speeds

• Tyre wear – small rounded sections worn on outer edges of tyres, called scalloping.

• Poor ride quality

• The vehicle pulls to one side of the road

• Tyres wear evenly, but quickly

• Tyres wear on the edges – either inner or outer edges, not both

• Tyre develops a feathered or saw-tooth pattern where one edge of each tread element is worn smooth while the outer edge is sharp and ragged • Lack of steering feel and responsiveness

• Excessively heavy steering

• Poor handling such as excessive over steer or under steer

• A change in the position of the steering wheel when driving in a straight line

To achieve correct wheel balancing, each wheel is balanced individually while in motion on a special wheel balancing machine. Lead weights are affixed to precise positions on the edges of the wheel rim to cause the wheel to rotate in perfect balance.

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Alloy Wheel Care and Maintenance

Your alloy wheels should be cleaned on a regular  basis, at least once a week if possible. Your wheels are the dirtiest part of your vehicle as they are closest to the elements such as  brake dust, road salt, tar, mud and ocean salt in coastal areas.

High humidity and cooler climates can inhibit moisture which when mixed with dirt and brake dust and left unattended for long  periods can cause irreversible damage to the wheel’s paint/clear coat/chrome  (especially) finishes.rake dust is highly corrosive and is one of the biggest causes of pitting problems on your wheel’s surfaces.

• Make sure your wheels are cool before any cleaning process starts, cleaning warm or hot wheels could result in wheels being stained.

• Rinse off wheels first to loosen any surface dirt, similar to when you wash your vehicle.

• Before using any cleaning product ensure they do not contain any ammonia or acid based solutions.

• Use of a quality wash up wax similar to what you would use on your vehicle, tar and bug remover also helps to prevent permanent tar stains.

• Cleaning your wheels should be done with a soft cloth or a wash mitt.

• Try to avoid solution drying on your wheel’s surface as this may cause staining.

• Once you have rinsed off solution, chamois dry wheels.

• Now for extra protection (especially on chrome wheel surfaces) use a quality wheel wax only, do not use any polishing compounds, light coating of wheel wax diminishes the amount of surface contaminants adhering to the wheel’s surface.

• Before using an automatic car wash verify what cleaning agent is used as some companies use an acid based solution to clean grime from your vehicle’s body, Stiff brushes can also scratch or damage your alloy wheel’s finish.

• Never use steel wool pads, wire brushes or anything that is abrasive on your alloy wheels.

• Never steam clean your alloy wheels as this will dull the finish and permanently damage your wheel’s appearance.

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Wheel Buying Guide

Advantages of Alloy Wheels
There are numerous benefits to fitting aftermarket alloy wheels to your vehicle. Wheels are usually cast from an aluminum alloy which means they are manufactured as a light-weight product. Given there is a greater selection of designs to chose from they are often far more appealing to buyers than the original wheels fitted to vehicles. Aftermarket alloy wheels are produced in a large range of styles and sizes and catering for most cars on Australian roads. These sizes can range from 13” right up to 24”.
One of the many advantages of fitting alloy wheels to your vehicle (in performance terms) is the reduction in your car’s weight ratio, meaning a reduction in rotating mass at the end of your suspension components. This can assist with improved steering and greater breaking response.

ONE-PIECE & COMPOSITE (2 & 3 PIECE) WHEELS
Wheels are usually manufactured as a single piece structure, however they can also be made up of a two and three piece composite. (Centre, Inner & Outer)
One-piece wheels are usually less expensive to produce as they require no additional assembly. The initial setting up of tools/machines and moulds is quite expensive, but the manufacturing process is much quicker. These wheels are often lighter as there are no extra bolts for the connection of the pieces.
Composite wheels main advantage comes from providing exact fitment to any vehicle. This is often required for older vehicles or those that have a very uncommon offset and stud pattern. Composite wheels often give a vehicle a unique look which will not be found on other vehicles, thus making them highly desirable.

STUD PATTERNS / P.C.D’s
Pitch Circle Diameter (P.C.D) / Stud Pattern
The P.C.D. of a wheel is the diameter of an imaginary circle drawn through the centre of each stud hole. It is typically measured by placing a ruler from the left side of one nut hole and measuring directly across to the left side of the nut hole next to this. This applies for all 4 stud, 5 stud & 6 stud wheels. It is shown as No. of studs / Diameter (mm). E.g. 5/120 means a 5 stud wheel with a P.C.D. of 120mm.
Some wheels are designed as multi-fit wheels where they may have 2 P.C.D’s drilled into the hub centre. This allows for a broader range of fitments within the one wheel. This is normally shown as 8/100-114.3 where there are 8 stud holes to make both 4/100 & 4/114.3 P.C.D’s.

OFFSET
Offset (ET)
The offset of a wheel is the distance in millimeters between the mounting face and the centre line of the wheel. Positive offset wheels have the mounting face closer to the outside of wheel, forward of the centre line. This will place the wheel further under the car. These wheels generally have very little dish on the outer rim and a small wheel boss on the back of the wheel. Eg. Subaru & Honda
Negative offset wheels have the mounting face towards the back of the wheel, rear of the centre line. This results in the wheel sitting further out from the car. These wheels can have a deep dish on the outer rim and/or a large wheel boss on the back. EEG. Pre AU & 4WD wheels.

Calculating Offsets
• To find the offset of a wheel, first measure the backspace of the wheel from bolt up face to back edge of wheel
• Measure the overall physical rim width (edge to edge) or add 1 inch to the manufacturer’s stamped wheel size.
• Multiply by 25.4 to convert to millimeters and then divide by 2 to find the centre line of the wheel.
• Subtract the centre line measurement from the backspace measurement.
• This will give you either a positive or negative offset measurement.
In most cases, changing the offset of a wheel will increase the loads on bearings, axles, suspension joints and steering components. For this reason it is important to fit wheels with a correct offset to prevent premature wear or suspension failure.

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Wheel Dimensions

Wheel Width

Width of the wheel measured from outer bead seat to inner bead seat. This is not the same as the physical width of the wheel.

Wheel Diameter
Diameter of the wheel measured from the bead seat to opposite bead seat. The physical size of the wheel will be a larger diameter. Centre line Half of rim width measured from edge to edge.

Rear Spacing
The distance from the mounting face to the outside edge of the back of the wheel. This can be measured by placing a straight edge across the back of the wheel and measuring to the mount face. This distance can be used to calculate offsets.

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Wheel Fitments

Wheels up to 26mm wider than the largest optional wheel recommended by the vehicle manufacturer for the vehicle can be fitted without the need to notify the RTA. The overall diameter of the wheel and tyre combination must be no more than 15mm over the largest diameter wheel and tyre combination specified for the vehicle and not more than 15mm below the smallest diameter wheel and tyre combination specified for the vehicle.
When fitting a larger wheel & tyre fitment the combination of the replacement fitted unit MUST stay within the mudguard. 

When viewed directly from the top of the mudguard to the ground, with the tyre & wheel unit facing in a straight ahead position, the tyre & wheel MUST not be visible.

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